Monday, December 19, 2016

Further thoughts on Trump's election - Part 2

This post is the second in a series of musings about Trump's election in
which I identify five concerns and then suggest a response to each (follow this
link to read the first post).

2.Fears that the Trump
appointees and policies will trample the rights of women to choose their own
healthcare options, discriminate against the LGBT community, implement initiatives
that worsen climate change and tear down important environmental safeguards,
misunderstand the threats the US faces, favor the rich at the expense of the
poor, etc.

Donald Trump is a narcissist with an oversize personality who likes to
dominate whatever stage he occupies. As President of the US, he may experience
a rude awakening.

The US political system is not a dictatorship and although the powers
of the presidency expanded during the twentieth and twenty-first centuries,
those powers still face significant limitations. Congress consists of 535
politicians, each of whom has his/her own political base and agenda. The
President may exert considerable pressure on a Representative or Senator but
cannot control that person's vote. A President has even less control over the
Supreme Court. As history repeatedly has shown, no assurance exists that a
nominee, once confirmed, will continue to hold the same views or to vote as
anticipated. A President has virtually no control over the Constitution, the
written basis of our government and a document with which a President must
comply or face the possibility of impeachment and conviction. The interlocking web
of politicians, civil servants, lobbyists, interests groups that enshrouds our
federal government can be intractable to presidential desires or manipulation.

In sum, Trump's administration may implement egregious policies and
programs that harm many people. However, a politically active coalition of groups
opposed to Trump's agenda can largely derail that agenda by fighting a thousand
battles. Low levels of political engagement allowed Trump to prevail in the
general election. Outrage over his election, unless it energizes intentional
political engagement will similarly change little or nothing. The size,
complexity, and design of our political system all favor organized dissent over
central control.

Anxiety that Trump's win will directly
or even indirectly align itself with a freshly energized white supremacist
movement, further exacerbating racial tensions

The US is on an irreversible trajectory towards becoming a truly
multicultural society in which no single racial or ethnic group comprises a
majority. Some of us eagerly embrace that shift, recognizing that diversity
enriches rather than impoverishes life. Residents of Hawaii, San Francisco, and
some other parts of the US already enjoy living in truly multicultural settings.

Unsurprisingly, the change from a white dominated culture to
multicultural diversity may cause more fear than optimism among some people.

Evil flourishes when good people sit idle. Hard core white supremacists
are unlikely to change their attitudes. However, the white supremacist movement
attracts people on its periphery for multiple reasons, many not directly
related to white supremacy. Advocates of diversity can beneficially reach out
to these individuals. Diversity does not have to entail disadvantaging one
racial or ethnic group at the expense of another group. Diversity can be a
win-win proposition for all involved. Furthermore, achieving diversity is not
merely a matter of legislation and judicial action but requires attitudinal
change. While the US has made significant progress in mandating diversity,
attitudinal change has persistently lagged and is now manifesting itself, at
least partially, in the surging white supremacist movement.

Constructive steps forward include working to change attitudes, replace
exclusionary identity politics with more comprehensive political agendas,
affirmatively embrace the least and most vulnerable amongst us, and truly honor
the dignity and worth of all.

1 comment:

We are becoming a country of fear, feeding off tweets, media inaccuracies, and perceived injustice. Our kids are told they can’t be wrong and we adults are getting the same attitude. Compromise is a lost word, as your last blog mentioned moderates are leaving the political system to extremists on both sides. You are correct the dynamics of our system can change the excesses of one branch or the other. Give our new President a chance to see what he has to do to make changes for all of our people.